SWS: Sears Point: Qualifying report

Sonoma, Calif. - M.K. Kanke of Frazier Park, Calif. returned to the site that ended his 2001 season and took one back as he claimed his 27th career Featherlite Southwest Series, NASCAR Touring Bud Pole Award at Sears Point Raceway Thursday afternoon. Kanke led two-time defending race winner Jim Inglebright in qualifying as the only two drivers in the 93 mph range. Rounding out the top five qualifiers were Todd Souza, Kevin Harvick, and Kenny Shepherd.

Other notable qualifiers were Boris Said in the Ken Schrader owned Federated Auto Parts Chevrolet qualifying 11th, and 1997 Featherlite Southwest Series champion, Bryan Germone, qualifying 15th. Failing to make it in on time and who will have use the Non-Qualifiers race to get in the show is NASCAR Winston Cup regular Jeff Green.

Twenty-eight drivers qualified on time with Scott Lynch of Burley, Idaho squeezing in the field with the 28th final qualifying spot. Frank Maronski Jr., Joe Herold, Nick Joanides, Steve Belletto, Bob Lyon, and Ed Watson all made the starting grid via the use of provisonals.

The final eight starting positions for the 42-car field will be set by those drivers that transfer from the 10-lap Non-Qualifiers race that is scheduled to take the green flag at 8:30 am Friday morning.

Forty-two drivers will make the grid for the Snap-On Tools/Jelly Belly "200" on Saturday. The event is the seventh of fourteen scheduled events for the Featherlite Southwest Series, and is the third race of the season that will air on the SPEED Channel.

-nascar-